Changes, revisions, and updates are a regular and important part of ongoing academic program review and assessment. This can include everything from renaming a program to changing the mode of delivery to updating the curriculum. With few exceptions, any such program changes must be routed through the relevant home department, school/college, and campus governance committee, per the UW-Madison Array Management and Program Planning Process (pdf).
Refer to the following section for high-level guidance on making changes to academic programs. Please also consult with the program’s home school or college dean’s office. Refer to the school/college academic planner contact list for help in identifying the correct individual(s). Once an initial conversation occurs at the school/college level, the next step is to consult with Karen Mittelstadt in Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research. Karen will review the plans, discuss relevant guidelines or policies, and help shepherd the program through the approval process.
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Change the Academic/Administrative Home of a Degree/Major or Certificate Program
Rename a Degree/Major, Named Option, or Certificate Program
On occasion, it is appropriate to rename an academic program. Such a change is proposed with a Lumen Program change proposal and is routed through appropriate department, school/college, and campus governance. It is very important to note that students enrolled in the program must be consulted regarding the name change and must also consent to the change.
For more details on renaming considerations and the process, refer to the KnowledgeBase document Considerations for Department, Academic Program, and Subject Listing Name Changes.
There is also some helpful information on name changes presented in a 2011 reference document titled Things to Think About When Proposing a Program Name Change.
Change the CIP Code for a Degree/Major or Certificate Program
The federal Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) code taxonomy supports the tracking and reporting of program-level enrollments and program completion activity at U.S. colleges and universities. Each academic program is assigned a CIP code that describes the program curriculum and, in some cases, its associated degree.
The appropriate CIP code is assigned to an academic program when it is created, based on the curriculum as approved. For new academic programs, the appropriate CIP code is determined by the Office of the Provost in consultation with the academic program faculty.
On occasion, it makes sense for a program’s CIP code to be changed. This is most often in response to a new CIP option being made available by the U.S. Department of Education or a change/redirection in the program’s curriculum. A proposal for a CIP code change is submitted via Lumen Structures, as described in the KnowledgeBase document Classification of Instructional Program CIP Code.